Freezing Process
My food prep process now makes full use of freezing things so I can get to eating them when I'm ready. However when I first started on this journey, everything I froze turned out terribly. The food would be crusted with ice and probably freezer burned in no time at all. I was at a loss.
Then I discovered flash freezing, and everything changed. Now almost everything I freeze is in pristine shape when I reheat it even months later.
The Cook–Chill–Hold Gold Standard
This is the professional baseline workflow used by professional chefs.
It directly solves:
- soggy surfaces after freezing
- muddy breading on reheat
- frost and ice crusts
- loss of crisping potential
- accidental overcooking
1. Chill Immediately After Cooking
As soon as cooking finishes, begin rapid chilling:
Ice water for 10–15 minutes
Goals
- Rapidly drop food below 40°F / 4°C
- Halt residual cooking
- Minimize bacterial growth window
- Firm the exterior
- Prevent steam condensation that later becomes frost
Rule:
Do not move food to the freezer until it is fully chilled.
2. Pat Completely Dry
Never freeze proteins sitting in cooking liquid or surface moisture.
Procedure
- Remove from any moisture source (such as a sous-vide bag)
- Pat all surfaces bone dry
- If skin is present, dry it aggressively
Why This Matters
Any surface liquid becomes ice. Ice destroys:
- future crisping
- coating adhesion
- browning efficiency
3. Optional but Strongly Recommended: Light Salting
Apply a very light sprinkle of salt to exposed surfaces before freezing.
Effects
- Draws remaining surface moisture
- Tightens protein structure
- Improves texture on reheat
- Improves browning later
This is especially valuable for:
- poultry skin
- pork surfaces
- anything intended for air-frying or broiling later
4. Flash Freeze Uncovered (Critical Step)
Place items on a sheet tray:
- Not touching
- Uncovered
- Skin or presentation side up
Freeze 1–2 hours, until hard on the outside.
What This Achieves
- Individual portions (no sticking)
- No surface ice crust
- No frost buildup
- Clean edges
- Maximum future crisp potential
This is how professional kitchens prevent freezer damage.
5. Bag Only After Flash Freezing
Once items are individually frozen solid, you may now transfer to Ziploc or vacuum-sealed bags, or silicone containers such as Souper Cubes.
Because the surface is already frozen:
- No liquid migrates
- No frost forms
- No texture damage occurs
6. Frozen Storage
Stored this way, proteins remain crisp-ready for
- 2–3 months (Ziploc)
- 4–6 months (vacuum-sealed)
Flavor and texture stability is dramatically higher than freezing directly from cooking liquid or without surface drying.